Benh Zeitlin’s 2008 short film is one of the special features on the Blu-ray for Beasts of the Southern Wild, but until tonight we didn’t know it was freely available online. (Thanks to Pete for the find!)
Benh Zeitlin’s 2008 short film is one of the special features on the Blu-ray for Beasts of the Southern Wild, but until tonight we didn’t know it was freely available online. (Thanks to Pete for the find!)
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What bothers me about this film is it is intellectually lazy and immature. The various themes (poverty, race, Katrina, imaginary beasts, community, environment…) are treated as poorly formed cliche’s. I think those who have problems with this film are simply too sophisticated to be bought in by, “Like oh yea man, the environment, climate change, race and Katrina, like you know and poor people… man that’s like so deep…” We want film makers to work at it hard from an intellectual standpoint and auditioning 4,000 little girls is not what I mean by working at it.
What bothers me about this film is it is intellectually lazy and immature. The various themes (poverty, race, Katrina, imaginary beasts, community, environment…) are treated as poorly formed cliche’s. I think those who have problems with this film are simply too sophisticated to be bought in by, “Like oh yea man, the environment, climate change, race and Katrina, like you know and poor people… man that’s like so deep…” We want film makers to work at it hard from an intellectual standpoint and auditioning 4,000 little girls is not what I mean by working at it.
Sally, LOL. As long as he doesn’t go the David Gordon Green route and resort to making stoner comedies to pay the bills he’ll be ok.
RE: Behn Zeitlin — all I can say is I hope his 3rd movie upgrades and uses better scenery and more expensive furniture.
I mean, seriously, did he steal your girlfriend? Run over your dog? Don’t like the movie? That’s cool. But harping on his ethnicity really is weird and reflects very poorly on you.
So, Ben, your take is that somehow the Academy voters have completely missed Zeitlin’s biography as a Jewish, New York born, Connecticut educated filmmaker? I can see how this blockbuster secret stayed hidden so long, even though it was brought up in every interview he’s given in the last year, it’s on his Wiki page, and imdb. What a scandal (eye roll)
Beasts of the Southern Wild was the best movie I saw all year and I’ve seen all of the contenders. I’m surprised at the intensity of the vitriol directed at this movie. Just wanted to counter all of the negativity and overt hatred spewed in the comments here because there are plenty of cinephiles and critics who love this film. It would appear that the hatred of this film is a fringe viewpoint, but in any case, I’m delighted it was recognized by the Academy with four Oscars in major categories. GO BEASTS!
Ben, I couldn’t agree more.
After all this undeserved nomibations, the carrers of all them (director and actor that overrated and piece of shit move) will fall abruptelly…
Ben, do you think the news about Behn will get out to the Academy before they vote and they will take a second look at BOTSW?
:Secret Lights in Anatolia http://themoviefrog.blogspot.com/2012/12/secret-lights-in-anatolia.html?spref=tw.Once … … Upon a Time in Anatolia, Secret World of Arriety and Red Lights ttp://www.TheMovieFrog.com
You so understand Court 13 is a filmmaking collective Zeitlin belongs to?
Ben, well at least BOTSW has turned into a positive for Wallis and Henry who have been cast in another movie. Ka-ching!
I saw this short years ago at a festival and absolutely hated it. Behn Zeitlin owes his whole career to the fact that people can’t tell what ethnicity he is by his name. If people knew he was a white Jewish kid from Queens, who grew up in Queens, went to college there and has now been carpet bagging in New Orleans for the last few years, they would instantly decry all the artificial and ineffective elements of both this short and Beasts of the Southern Wild.
How this person has the audacity to label his film a “Film By Court 13” and how any of the locals who helped make this mess of a film can tolerate such shameless self promotion is beyond me.
All I know is that when Zeitlin makes his carte blanche sophomore effort (which we all know is coming), he won’t have any cute 9 year old kids to fall behind. He will fail and his career will take the trajectory it deserves. Can’t wait.
I think Beast of The Southern Wild is a overrated film. The only nomination it deserved was Supporting Actor for Dwight Henry but he didn’t get it. So, I wait Argo wins.
Hmmm….I’m listening to the score and it does seem to be borrowed from BOTSW.
He loves voiceover doesn’t he?
This gives you a clue to what and how he wanted to make Beasts of the Southern Wild, it seems to be a sequel.
I know his name is pronounced “Ben” but that silly H makes me read “Ben-eh” every. Damn. Time.
Is that the same kind of score as was used in BOTSW?
Also, from IMDB:
“The Glory at Sea theme song by Benh Zeitlin and Dan Romer was used as the theme for the final days of Barack Obama’s US presidential campaign.”
I hope his short films can be better than feature films!